


R.I.P to My Youth

by KathPetrovaDiary



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Australian GP 2019, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sebastidan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-17
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-11-21 11:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18141608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KathPetrovaDiary/pseuds/KathPetrovaDiary
Summary: "Fuck!” A tear dripped down his cheek followed by a few until a sob escaped him. He had made a huge mistake.After a terrible race, Daniel doubts his choice of leaving RedBull for Renault.Sebastian has gone through the same situation years ago and manages to help the Aussie.Set Australian GP, 2019.





	R.I.P to My Youth

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm not doing the same challenge as last year (a fic a race), but I'm writing whenever I feel something after a race.
> 
> Seb and Dan have been around each other the whole outcome. After that exciting but disappointing race for my favs I had to write this.
> 
> Inspired by R.I.P. 2 My Youth by The Neighbourhood.

He had to escape. All the sympathetic faces from his crew and fans haunted him.   
He wanted to run. Go somewhere he won’t be found.  
He needed no one. Space to clear his head would do him good.

Daniel put on his Nikes. The yellow and green Alpinestars had been kicked aside with his racing suit. Instead, the Australian had put on an old RB-shirt from his first year at the team. 2014 had been magical. He had won three races. The thought of winning left him in a bitter state. A run would do him good. Everyone had gone to their hotel or the Mercedes party anyway. 

The track is empty. No cameras, no marshalls, no roaring engines. The only sound underneath the setting sun was his feet hitting the pavement. No silence in his head, unfortunately. The day was rewinding itself in his mind. The moment he had decided to turn slightly to the left which caused him to end up in the gutter and end his race. His home race.

Daniel noticed the lights up ahead as he came around turn fourteen. He halted, breathing hard. He wasn’t ready to face everyone yet. He knew he wouldn’t be ready for a while. Daniel sat down against the with sponsors covered barrier, letting his head rest against it.

Had he made the right choice? Would Renault really be faster? One engine had already blown up. Nico wasn’t able to get ahead of the Haas which has a Ferrari in the back. Hell, he hadn’t been able to catch George in his Williams. A Mercedes powered car.

Max had ended up on the podium. He did that in his Honda-powered engine. Toro Rosso had been quick as well. Should he have stayed and taken the fight to Max? Did he run away from a challenge because he was scared like Christian had said? 

“Fuck”, his voice was hoarse from the screaming when he destroyed his motorhome room. “Fuck!” A tear dripped down his cheek followed by a few until a sob escaped him. He had made a huge mistake. Daniel dropped his head in his hands resting them against his knees. He shouldn’t have been this cocky, he should have stayed with those that gave him everything. “Fuck…”

Daniel had felt his presence before he arrived, but he didn’t speak.   
“Dan?”, the accent was all too familiar. “Why are you here?”  
The Australian lifted his head up to take in the blond. “I could ask you the same thing, Seb.”

He must have noticed Daniel had been crying, but he didn’t comment on it instead Sebastian sighed before dropping down next to him. Daniel kept his gaze on the blond awaiting an answer to his unspoken question.   
“I’ve been running tracks after a bad race since 2014”, Sebastian admitted resting his head against the sponsored barrier. “Call it some stress relieve or a punishment. It works.”

Only now Daniel noticed that Sebastian was wearing Puma running wear instead of brightly red. Apparently, his idea hadn’t been that weird.  
“You see P4 as a bad result?”, Daniel asked curiously. To him, that would feel like a win right now. Sebastian nodded: “Every race lost against a Mercedes is a bad race. The moment I let them by they’re one step closer to being champions. I won’t let that happen, I can’t let that happen. I don’t deserve to rest if they’re winning.”

Daniel had never thought about it like that before. He didn’t fully agree with his former teammate, but he did understand.  
“Why did you run the track?”, Sebastian asked nudging the Australian’s shoulder. 

“I wanted to clear my head. Instead, I ended up with more questions and a lot more regret”, Daniel hadn’t planned on telling anyone how he truly felt. It had naturally rolled off his tongue with Sebastian. The blond had and always will have that effect on him.

“Don’t know if you made the right choice leaving Redbull?”  
Of course, Sebastian had guessed correctly. Daniel pulled up his shoulders.  
“Honestly, I don’t know what’s right and wrong in this sport anymore. Everyone found it strange that I left for Renault. Now I’m starting to understand why.”

“No”, the German said which formed a frown on the Aussie’s forehead.  
“Everybody called me crazy for going to Ferrari. Christian called me a traitor for leaving for our competition after they raised me. I doubted the whole winter if he was right or if I was, but in the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re disappointing your fans or your old team as long as you think you made the right decision.”

“How can you be sure you made the right one?”, Daniel asked as Sebastian stood up.  
He held out a hand for the brunet to take, which he did.

“Because Daniel”, Sebastian said pulling the Aussie back on his feet. “We can’t stay in the same team forever. RedBull raised me, gave me a chance to do what I love. They gave me the opportunity to win four straight championships. They weren’t able to give me that in 2014 and they couldn’t give you a good car either. We can’t stay with the same team forever. At some point, we’ll have to say goodbye anyway. If you believed Renault is able to win a championship in the upcoming years, you still believe it now deep down in your heart.”

“We aren’t young forever, Dan. At some point, we’ll have to do it on our own. The same happens in motorsport. It simply was your time to say goodbye to RedBull. You did the right thing.” Daniel pulled Sebastian into a hug. The German froze for a moment which made Daniel fear he’d crossed a line. He didn’t. Sebastian wrapped his arms tightly around Daniel.  
“I’m there for you, Daniel. I always will be.”

As they parted, Sebastian said goodbye before jogging toward the pit.   
Daniel watched him disappear in the dark. He smiled to himself. Sebastian always knew what to say to him, how to comfort him. He didn’t need to overthink around him. 

Daniel’s mind finally went silent.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3


End file.
